2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe Sheds Two Doors and the Wreath

General Motors (NYSE:GM) broke some new ground with the arrival of the ATS sedan, Cadillac’s smallest sedan to date, which is meant to compete with the likes of the BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4, and the Mercedes-Benz C Class. The ATS is a unique step for General Motors because it was built on its own platform, not one borrowed from another of GM’s brands. The decision seems to have worked, as the ATS was met with a warm reception and appears to be selling quite well.

Building on the success it saw with the ATS, Cadillac has decided to lose a couple of doors, presenting the resulting ATS Coupe at this year’s North American International Auto Show. However, rather than looking like an uncomfortably long, two-door ATS, Cadillac appears to have done a fine job of ensuring that the coupe fits into its new dimensions. All in all, the car comes together in a clean and unified fashion.

There are no extraneous ducts, vents, bulges, or angles present on the car: Cadillac has instead prioritized simplicity against making a statement, and that decision has made a bit of a statement on its own. Even the badge has gone under Cadillac’s knife, making the ATS Coupe the first model of the new generation to wear the shield without the laurels.

Buyers can pick from a 2-liter turbo four-cylinder engine or a 3.6-liter V6; the 2.5-liter inline-four offered in the sedan model won’t be available for the coupe. The V6 specs remain unchanged from what Cadillac owners are used to, but the turbo four has been tweaked for 14 percent more torque, which is now rated at 295 pound-feet. It still carries the same 272 horsepower, though, while the V6 offers up 321.

Autoblog reports that despite the absence of a Vsport model, the ATS Coupe comes standard with Brembo brakes. There is also an optional FE3 sport suspension that includes Magnetic Ride Control, a mechanical limited-slip differential, and improved engine cooling.

Additionally, the car boasts a near 50-50 weight distribution, helping the handling immensely.

“More power with less weight is always a better combination for performance, and the ATS Coupe offers one of the best power-to-weight ratios in the segment, making it feel lighter, more direct and responsive,” David Leone, Cadillac’s executive chief engineer, said in a company press release. “Engineers vetted the ATS’s performance on the track and the Coupe benefits from that exhaustive validation — all matched with Cadillac’s trademark refinement.”